CVE-2026-9860

CVE-2026-9860 is a high-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-434.

Key facts

Description

The Offload, AI & Optimize with Cloudflare Images plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 1.10.2 via the 'account-id' parameter parameter. This is due to insufficient privilege enforcement on the cf_images_do_setup AJAX handler, which requires only the upload_files capability (Author+) rather than manage_options before writing to wp-config.php, combined with the absence of single-quote escaping — sanitize_text_field() does not strip single quotes, and filter_input(INPUT_POST) bypasses wp_magic_quotes() slashing — allowing a single quote in the account-id or api-key parameter to break out of the single-quoted PHP string literal in the write_config() define() statement. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to execute code on the server. This is possible because the 'cf-images-nonce' nonce required by the AJAX handler is exposed to all Author-level and above users on wp-admin/upload.php via the CFImages JavaScript object, meaning any upload-capable user can satisfy the nonce check and reach the vulnerable wp-config.php write path.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-9860?
The Offload, AI & Optimize with Cloudflare Images plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 1.10.2 via the 'account-id' parameter parameter. This is due to insufficient privilege enforcement on the cf_images_do_setup AJAX handler, which requires only the upload_files capability (Author+) rather than manage_options before writing to wp-config.php, combined with the absence of single-quote escaping — sanitize_text_field() does not strip single quotes, and filter_input(INPUT_POST) bypasses wp_magic_quotes() slashing — allowing a single quote in the account-id or api-key parameter to break out of the single-quoted PHP string literal in the write_config() define() statement. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to execute code on the server. This is possible because the 'cf-images-nonce' nonce required by the AJAX handler is exposed to all Author-level and above users on wp-admin/upload.php via the CFImages JavaScript object, meaning any upload-capable user can satisfy the nonce check and reach the vulnerable wp-config.php write path.
How severe is CVE-2026-9860?
CVE-2026-9860 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-9860 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (43rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-9860?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-9860 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-9860 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-37840.
When was CVE-2026-9860 published?
CVE-2026-9860 was published on 2026-06-18.

References

Other CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type) vulnerabilities

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